1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a prosthetic foot, and, more particularly to a foot wherein the heel height thereof may be adjusted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Amputees have utilized prosthetic feet since the adoption of the wooden peg leg of pirate fame during the seventeenth century and earlier. A brief history of prior art prosthetic feet is described and set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,594, issued May 11, 1982, and entitled Prosthetic Foot by named inventors John W. Campbell and Charles W. Childs. Both of Medford, Oreg. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,594 is expressly incorporated herein by reference, hence, the details thereof will not be redundantly repeated herein. Suffice it to say that the prosthetic foot advance detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,594 provided the art a foot capable of dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, and foot inversion and eversion. The net affect is that the foot disclosed and described in the referenced U.S. Patent closely mimics the movement of the human foot.
There is however, a need extant in the prosthetic foot art which would allow the user of such a foot to adjust the heel height in a positive way and when the need arises, e.g., when changing from one pair of shoes to another. It is also necessary that the adjusted heel height be permanent during use and not loosen thereby affecting the gait of wearer.